The present invention relates generally to computerized systems and methods for assuring process compliance for a wide array of processes and, more specifically, to web-based systems and methods for managing the issues and risks associated with a project.
Businesses utilize a variety of processes in their day-to-day operations. These processes may involve the completion of a number of discrete steps, forming a project. For example, businesses may utilize a variety of processes for bringing new products to market, often collectively referred to as new product introduction (NPI) processes. NPI processes may involve, for example, initial product conception, product design, product manufacture, and post-shipment follow-up. Typically, such processes include a series of tollgates, or go/no-go points. Each tollgate may include a set of activities and each set of activities may include a set of tasks. Typically, such processes also include a series issues and risks which must be monitored, tracked, and addressed. While NPI processes are often very similar, they may be customized based upon the needs of a particular business or the requirements associated with a particular product. As a result, NPI processes may vary with respect to focus, steps, and nomenclature.
Traditionally, businesses have kept track of the steps comprising a project, and the life-cycles of the associated issues and risks, manually on paper or with the aid of locally-accessible computer programs, such as spreadsheets and project management applications. Such systems and methods, however, have several important limitations. Such systems and methods are not generic and new papers or spreadsheets must be generated, for example, each time a new product is introduced, or when a new business utilizes an existing process. Alternatively, when locally-accessible project management applications are used, information related to issues and risks must be transferred from user to user via a computer-readable medium, such as on a diskette. As a result, it is difficult to search a series of projects for a particular issue or risk. It is also difficult to search for and identify a project based upon a given issue or risk. Likewise, it is difficult for a remote user to monitor and track the status of a particular issue or risk within the context of a given project.
Thus, what is needed are globally-accessible, web-based systems and methods for managing the issues and risks associated with a project. What is needed are systems and methods which allow a remote user to create and store issues and risks associated with a project, search for and identify a project based upon a given issue or risk, and search a series of projects for a particular issue or risk. What is also needed are systems and methods which allow a remote user to monitor and track the status of a particular issue or risk within the context of a given project.
The present invention overcomes the above limitations and provides systems and methods for managing the issues and risks associated with a project.
In one embodiment, a computerized method for managing the issues and risks associated with a project includes creating a plurality of issues and risks using a globally-accessible system, attaching meta-data to the plurality of issues and risks, searching and identifying the plurality of issues and risks using the meta-data, and monitoring and tracking the plurality of issues and risks using the globally-accessible system.
In another embodiment, a computerized system for managing the issues and risks associated with a project includes an issue management module operable for creating, storing, and searching a plurality of issues, a risk management module operable for creating, storing, and searching a plurality of risks, a processor operable for manipulating information related to the plurality of issues and risks, and a communications network operable for communicating information related to the plurality of issues and risks to and from a plurality of remote users.